Shoaib Akhtar is the toughest bowler I have faced: Dhoni

Fast bowlers have always been a nightmare for Indian batsmen which can be established through the fact that the world number one batsman Virat Kohli could not save his scalp in his first three encounters with Pakistani pacer Junaid Khan and he has ardently admired Muhammed Amir’s magical spell he has faced.

Amongst a volley of fast bowlers produced by Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar, who was a dreadful sight for “Indian idol” Sachin Tendulkar, was known for his deadly bouncers and toe-crushing yorkers.

Star Indian cricketer MS Dhoni in an interview with local media said Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar was the toughest bowler he has faced in his career.

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“All the fast bowlers are quite difficult, with the limited technique I had, it was very difficult to face the fast bowlers. Still, if I had to pick one, I would pick Shoaib Akhtar,” said Dhoni.

This should be noted that Dhoni has played only 10 matches against Akhtar, five Test and as many ODIs.

When asked why he picked Shoaib Akhtar over Brett Lee, Dale Steyn, Stuart Broad and other known fast bowlers, Dhoni said, “(For) very simple reason, he was quick, he was fast, he could bowl a yorker, he could bowl a bouncer but you never expected a beamer.”

“He was a bit unpredictable (but) he was fun to play against,” he said,